States Defy Net Neutrality Repeal

States are pushing their own net neutrality laws and rules in an attempt to fill the void left by the Federal Communications Commission's repeal of the Obama-era consumer protections. According to The Hill, the nationwide effort could be laying the groundwork for another court battle over the popular regulations.

The numbers: Twenty-nine states are considering net neutrality legislation, two -- Oregon and Washington -- have already passed laws and five Democratic governors have signed executive orders banning their states from doing business with internet providers that violate net neutrality principles.

Scott Wiener

And California is currently considering a law that net neutrality supporters say would be the gold standard. The California Senate last week passed a bill from state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) that would revive all of the protections from the 2015 rules and even go a step further by banning most forms of "zero rating."

"The FCC's action left a huge void with real-life ramifications in terms of the [internet service providers] being able to pick winners and losers on the internet, which is exactly what net neutrality prohibits," Wiener said in a phone interview with The Hill.

The only way to avoid a patchwork of state laws would be for Congress to step in, but with Republicans in control, few net neutrality supporters think that it can come up with adequate protections.

"With this Congress and this president, my confidence level is not high," Wiener said. "I would love to have one uniform, robust federal standard protecting net neutrality, but given that the FCC has left a void, the states have to fill it."